Seeing Human...

Sometimes we go on our way not realizing the human in each other, until maybe some incident hit us up and we re-gain our sense of human. However it was just at a very recent public performance that we saw "human" between a mother and her son.

It so happened that the little fellow who just turned 13, was invited to perform and be part of a music competition. The competition was fierce, with participants drawn from all musical disciplines and across many genres and instruments. However what caught my eye was that this little fellow, didn't seem to have much. There was no manager fussing around him just before he got on stage, and his performance information was limited. There was not even a fancy suit - as he came already dressed in his show attire.

Well, when this little fellow who seemed shy off-stage was introduced and he enter that stage, what seemed to be an alter-ego overtook him and he opened up his voice and belted two powerful pieces, coming from a pair of lungs which seemed bigger than his 4 ft height.

As I stood there with my mouth in awe and so too those around me, we all listened with such an intent, that for a few moments life paused. Now remember it is a competition and this youngster is participating in it, with very little musical training, yet he is delivering on his performance.

As he neatly wrapped up his the two pieces in the performance, and the significant applause, he took his bow. What impacted more was when it was time to interview this teenager, he went back into his unassuming demeanor. His mom sat right next to him. The setting for this event was more of a casual atmosphere, no formalities, nothing major, as this is still the preliminary stages of the overall festival competition. This youngster's mom - if you know her, works in one of those thankless jobs. A job which takes all of the energy out of you and at some ungrateful hours, and for lack of a better word - menial.

However, mom had her best hair-do, as well as a sophisticated black dress with her earrings and accessories to match. Couple this outfit with shoes which added an air elegance to her graceful movement. As she sat there, beaming - you could see nothing but a flush of pride across her face. In fact, the interaction between the two of them, shows that even though she may have had to give up the day's earnings - she was excited that her son was being interviewed. This was being "human" and you could see it! She made sure that her son was sitting properly, and answering the questions of the interview as best as he could. From start to stop, she smiled, her grace was exuding and even if her son did not make it past this stage of the competition, she bounded with enough excitement for both of them. She made sure to stand right next to her son and let him know that she is one of his biggest supporters.